Writer of Three Girls, exploring grooming by Asian men, says she is confident it does not give groups like EDL an opportunity

The writer of a BBC drama exploring the widespread grooming and sexual assault of young women in Rochdale by Asian men has addressed concerns that it could be used by far-right groups to further their racist agenda.

Nicole Taylor, who wrote Three Girls, said that while she accepted that groups such as the English Defence League and other extremists would “hitch their wagon opportunistically to anything”, she felt confident this drama “doesn’t give them an opportunity to do so”.

Taylor said such concerns had occupied her for four years while she carried out the research and interviews for the programme – including speaking to many of the victims, their families and the whistleblowers who fought for years for the exploitation to be taken seriously – but said that it was “not a reason for silence”.